Four Corners Farm Vermont

by Edward Fielding

Title

Four Corners Farm Vermont

Artist

Edward Fielding

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Note: the watermark in the lower right does not appear in the final print.
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Old red barn and country lane. Photography by Edward M. Fielding - www.edwardfielding.com
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Four Corners Farm, South Newbury, Vermont
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Farming has always played a major part in the lives of Vermonters. In the late 1700's, most Vermonters lived on self-sufficient farms, which meant they consumed most of the food they produced. Sheep were introduced to Vermont in 1811 and soon they became a major source of income for farmers. The rough hillsides and climate of the state were especially suited for sheep raising. By the 1840's competition from other areas and economic conditions led to a decrease in sheep farming.

In the years before the Civil War, Vermont began to move towards dairy farming. Just after the late 1840's, before there was refrigeration, the milk was made into cheese and butter and shipped by railroad to out of state markets. After the refrigerated railroad car was invented in 1910, fluid milk was shipped in large quantities to cities like Boston and New York.

In 1983 79% of the money made on farms was from dairy products and in 1995 it was 69.9%, but as it has in the past, farming in Vermont is changing. There are fewer farms and less of the land in the state is used for agriculture. Only the prime farmland remains in agriculture. 21.5% of Vermont land was used for the purpose of farming in 1997. One reason for this is an increase in population and the resulting demand for good land. Land is expensive and may sometimes bring large amounts of money when it is sold for housing instead of being used for farming. Large farms may sometimes have a tax burden that is too difficult for the farmer to pay. Much of our food is now shipped in from the west and south where it can be produced more cheaply. Also there is an increase in the percentage of farmers who work at jobs off the farm to help supply themselves. This means an increase in the number of part-time farms.

Uploaded

January 15th, 2013

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